Insecticidal composition comprising vinylcyclopropanecarboxylates

ABSTRACT

Vinylcyclopropanecarboxylates having an excellent insecticidal activity and a property harmless to mammals and cattle, of the formula,   WHEREIN R is 2-propargyl-3-methyl-2-cyclopentene-1-one-   WHEREIN R1 is allyl, propargyl, benzyl, thenyl, furylmethyl or phenoxy, R2 is hydrogen, or R1 and R2 are bonded at respective ends to form a polymethylene group having 3 to 4 carbon atoms, and X is oxygen or sulfur.

United States Patent [191 Matsui et al.

[111 3,835,220 [451 Sept. 10, '1974 [75] Inventors: Masanao Matsui, Tokyo; Yositosi Okuno, Toyonaka, both of Japan [73] Assignee: Sumitomo Chemical Company Limited, Osaka, Japan [22] Filed: Apr. 23, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 353,358

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 124,951, March 16, 1971, Pat.

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Mar. 19, 1970 Japan 45-23731 [52] US. Cl 424/17, 424/45, 424/275, 424/285, 424/305 [51] Int. Cl A01n 9/12, A0ln 9/28, AOln 17/04 [58] Field of Search 424/275, 285, 365, 17, 424/45; 260/3322 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES' PATENTS 3,047,611 7/1962 Moore et al. 260/468 3,358,111 1 12/1967 Elliott 260/468 3.381003 6/1968 Murlel cl ul. 2611/3435 3,414,607 12/1968 Fujimoto et a1. 260/468 3,465,007 9/1969 Elliott 260/347.4 3,484,489 12/1969 Kierstead et al 260/586 3,509,180 4/1970 Elliott 260/347.4 3,515,730 6/1970 Matsui et a1. 260/332.2 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 2,015,869 10/1970 Germany 260/332.2

11/1968 France ..260/347.4 8/1969 France ..260/347.4

Primary Examiner-Albert T. Meyers Assistant Examiner-Allen J Robinson Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Stevens, Davis, Miller & Mosher 57 ABSTRACT Vinylcyclopropanecarboxylates having an excellent insecticidal activity and a property harmless to mammals and cattle, oitl e formul wherein R is 2-propargyl-3-methyl-2-cyclopentenel-one- 7 R2 4-yl, 31% 0mor @4311? wherein R is allyl, propargyl, benzyl, thenyl, fury!- methyl or phenoxy, R is hydrogen, or R and R are bonded at respective ends to form a polymethylene group having 3 to 4 carbon atoms, and X is oxygen or sulfur.

3 Claims, No Drawings INSECTICIDAL COMPOSITION COMPRISING V[NYLCYCLOPROPANECARBOXYLATES This is a division of application Ser. No. 124,951 filed Mar. 16, 1971; now U.S. Pat. No. 3,758,504.

This invention relates to'novel vinylcyclopropanecarhoxylutcs represented by the formula (I),

CH3 CH3 wherein R is 2-propargyl-3-methyl-2-cyclopentenel-one- R2 4- ,RzH-CHP or Q-CHr- (III) wherein R is allyl, propargyl, benzyl, thenyl, furyldients.

Various insecticides of the cyclopropanecarboxylic acid ester type have heretofore been known, and there are several esters also in pyrethrum components.

Among many insecticides availableat present, the pyrethrum extracts have widely been used for the control of sanitary injurious insects and agricultural and horticultural injurious insects, because of their excellent insecticidal effect, low toxicity to mammals and quick acting on injurious insects and because they hardly impart vital resistance to injurious insects. However, they are expensive and are not particularly excellent in persistency of insecticidal effect. Accordingly, a large number of homologous compounds have been synthesized by many researchers. However, the synthesized products, which are commercially available at present, have their merits and demerits and, when used singly, they just satisfy some of the requirement for insecticides.

An object of the present invention is to provide novel vinylcyclopropanecarboxylates free from the abovementioned drawbacks.

Another object of the invention is to providea process for preparing the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide insecticidalcompositions containing the same as active ingredients which are more excellent in insecticidal effect than those of the conventional insecticides.

The esters represented by the formula (I) are novel compounds, and can be obtained by reacting a compound of the formula (V) or (VI),

wherein R R and X are as defined above and A is hydroxyl or a halogen, or 2-propargyl-3-methyl-4- 2 hydroxy-2-cylfclopentene-l-one, with a cyclopropanecarboxylic acid of the formula (IV) or a reactive derivative thereof,

if necessary in the presence of a suitable reaction adjuvant. The reactive derivative referred to herein indicates an acid halide, an acid anhydride an ester or a salt of an alkali metal or an organic base.

Procedures for synthesis of the present esters are explained in detail below.

1. In case a carboxylic acid of the formula (IV) is used, the reaction is accomplished under dehydration conditions. That is, the acid is reacted at or above room temperature with an alcohol of the formula (V) or (VI), or with 2-propargyl-3-methyl-4-hydr0xy-2 cyclopentene-l-one, in a suitable inert solvent in the presence of such a dehydrating agent as dicyclohexyl carbodiimide, whereby a desired ester can be obtained in a high yield.

2. In case an acid halide is used as the reactive derivative of the carboxylic acid of the formula (IV), the object can be sufficiently accomplished by reacting the acid halide at room temperature with the aforesaid alcohol, using as a dehydrogen halide agent an organic tertiary base such as pyridine or triethylamine. The acid halide used in this case may be any of those within the scope of the invention, but is ordinarily an acid chloride. In the reaction, the presence of a solvent is preferable for smooth reaction. As the solvent, there is ordinarily used such an inert solvent as benzene, toluene or petroleum benzine.

3. In case an acid anhydride is used as the reactive derivative of the carboxylic acid of the formula (IV), the object can be accomplished by reacting the anhydride with the aforesaid alcohol, without any auxiliary agent. In this case, the elevation of temperature is preferable for acceleration of the reaction, and the use of an inert solvent such as toluene or xylene is preferable for s mooth reaction.

effecting an ester exchange reaction, while removing the formed lower alkyl alcohol by a rectifier, whereby a easiest! t san .besa zt bi-m.-.

5. In case a salt of an alkali metal or an organic ter- 'tiary base is used as the reactive derivative of the car boxylic acid of the formula (IV), the salt is reacted with the halide of the formula (V) or (VI) in the presence of an inert solvent such as benzene and acetone. The reaction may be preferably conducted under heating to or below boiling point of the solvent in order to accelerate the reaction. In this reaction it is not always necessary to form the salt of the carboxylic acid, and the alkali metal or the organic tertiary base may be added simultaneously together with the carboxylic acid of the 3 4 formula (IV) to the halide. The cloride [A in the for- (4) mula v or W) being chlorine] is usually employed and it is needless to say that the other halide, such as Q c o bromide may also be employed. C \CII;

The cyclopropanecarboxylic acid of the formula (IV) 5 is a novel compound and may be prepared from 2,2- dimethyl-3-formylcyclopropanecarboxylic ester and 3-Benzylbenzyl 2,2'-dimethyl-3'-vinyltriphenyl methylene phosphoran according to the Witcyclopropanecarboxylate n 1.5618 tig reaction, or from B,B-dimethylacrylic ester and phenyl ally] sulphone. l0 The carboxyllc aclds of the formula (IV) involve op- CHEGCHFL tlcal and geometrical isomers derlved from sterlc struc- 0 ll tures and asymmetric carbon atoms, but propenyl 0 C groups on the cyclopropane rings are in cis- W. -A -E%...PB M configuration with respect to the double bonds, and no S-Propargylfurfuryl 2',2'-dimethyl-3-vinyltrans-isomers are involved. cyclopropanecarboxylate n 1.5155

Further, the reactive derivatives of these carboxylic (6) acids can be easily obtained according to ordinary procedures from the carboxylic acids. That is, the acid ha- CHQCLOH7-L lides are obtained by halogenating the carboxylic acids S l with thionyl halides or phosphorus halides, and the acid anhydrides by reflux of the carboxylic acids together w with acetic anhydride. 5-Propargy1-2-thenyl 2,2'-dimethyl-3-vinyl- Examples of the compound of the formula (V) and cyclopropanecarboxylate n 1.5445 (VI) are as follows: 25 (7) 5-Benzyl-3-furylmethyl alcohol i l 5-(2-Thenyl)-3-furylmethyl alcohol CHFCHCH 5-Benzyl-2-thenyl alcohol 1 0 l 3-Benzylbenzyl alcohol 5-Propargylfurfuryl alcohol e @5115? M93, 5-Propargyl-2-thenyl alcohol 5-Allylfurfuryl 2,2'-dimethyl-3-vinyl- 4-Propargylbenzyl alcohol cyclopropanecarboxylate n 1.5162 5-Allylfurfuryl alcohol 4-Allylbenzyl alcohol 4,5-Tetramethylenefurfuryl alcohol 4,5-Tetramethylene-2-thenyl alcohol 0 4,5-Trimethylene-2-thenyl alcohol 7 OH; CH;

S-Phenoxyfurfuryl alcohol 5-Phcnoxy-3-furylmethyl alcohol 3-Phenoxybenzyl 2',2'-dimethyl-3-vinyl- 5-Phcnoxy-2-thcnyl alcohol cyclopropanecarboxylate n,, 1.5560

3Phcnoxybenzyl alcohol (9) CH3 2-Propargyl-3-methyl-4-hydroxy-2-cyclopcntene- I l-one 011504311 -OCCH-OH-CH=CH: l l

i-cH20 E.cC/cH-(:H cm H I Gi \Q cH2 2-1Vlethyl-3-propargyl-4-oxo-2-cyclopentenyl 2 2,: 3 a W dlmethyl-3 -vlnylcyclopropanec arboxylate n 1.5182 5-Benzyl-3 -furylmethyl 2 ',2 '-dimethyl-3 -vinylcyclopropanecarboxylate n 1.5370 I crn oc- CHCH-CH=CH: 2 CHzOC-0H--OH-OH=CH2 0 l l l I ll II o c on: CH: S/ CH n 0 H V V V 4,5-Tetramethylenefurfuryl 2,2'-dimethyl-3- 7 '7 vinylcyclopropanecarboxylate 5-(2'-Theny1)-3-furylmethyl 2",2"-dimethyl-3"- i vinylcyclopropanecarboxylate n 1.5529 (11) 0 -()-C.CH CH.CH:CH CH20C-CHCH-CH=CH l l a we l I y y y y 4,5-Trimethylene-2-thenyl 2,2'-dimethyl-3 '-vinylcycyclopropanecarboxylate r1 1 .5598 clopropanecarboxylate CH: CH;

S-Phenoxyfurfuryl cyclopropanecarboxylate Procedures for synthesis of the present compounds are illustrated below in further detail with reference to examples.

Example 1 To a solution of 9.4 g of -benzyl-3-furylmethyl alcohol in 30 ml of dry benzene was added 6.3 g of dry pyridine. To this solution was added with ice cooling a solution of 8.4 g of 2,2-dimethyl-3-vinylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid chloride in 25 ml of dry benzene, and the mixed solution was allowed to stand overnight. Thereafter, the reaction liquid was poured into ice water, and then the organic layer was washed successively with a 5% aqueous hydrochloric acid solution, a saturated aqueous sodium hydrogencarbonate solution and a saturated sodium chloride solution. The benzene layer was dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate, and then the benzene was removed by distillation. Subsequently, the residue was purified through a column packed with active alumina to obtain 13.7 g of an ester as a pale yellow oil, n 1.5370. The thus obtained. ester had the following structure:

CHOC-CH--CH-CH=CH2 I 1| o o v 0 OH; CHa

Elementary analysis:

Found 77.64 7.33 Cald 77.39 7.14

( zo zz a) Example 2 A solution of 9.4 g of 5-benzyl-3-furylmethyl alcohol and 2,2-dimethyl-3-vinylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid anhydride in 60 ml of toluene was refluxed for 4 hours.

After cooling, the reaction liquid was washed successively with a 2% aqueous sodium hydroxide solution and a saturated sodium chloride solution, and; then dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate. Thereafter, the toluene was removed by distillation, and the residue was purified through column packedwith active alumina to obtain 13.2 g of the same ester as in Example The thus obtained esters of the present invention which are represented by the formula (I) are low toxic, have prominent insecticidal effects and display more excellent properties than those of esters of so-called chrysanthemic and pyrethric acids which are different in acid portion from the present esters. Particularly in knock down effect, the present esters are more excellent than corresponding chrysanthemic acid esters.

In order to make the above fact clearer, experimentalexamples, in which typical examples of the present es,- ters were compared with corresponding chrysanthemic acid esters and pyrethric acid esters, and the results obtained in said experimental examples, are set forth below. A tendency of the same biological activities as those of said typical examples was observed also in the case of other compounds of the formula (.I) and isomers thereof. This tendency is the same with respect to the geometrical isomers and optical isomers.

Experimental Example The present compounds l), (2), (5'), (6), (9.) and (12), chrysanthemic acid esters corresponding thereto, and pyrethrin were individually dissolved in acetone and absorbed in a dry mosquito coil carrier so that the amount of each compound became 0.6% by weight, and then the acetone was removed? by vaporization to prepare mosquito coils. Subsequently, l g of each of the mosquito coils was ignited on both ends and placed in a cm) glass chamber, in which hadbeen. liberated about 20 adults of Northern house mosquitoes, and then the number of knocked-down insects was counted with lapse of time. After 24 minutes, knockeddown insects were collected, fed and allowed to stand for 1 day, and the alive and deadthereof were observed. From the results of said counting and observation, KT, (50% knock down time) and mortality were calculated to obtain the values as set forth in the following table Knock down KT mortality Test compound (min. sec.)

Present compound (I) 0.6% mosquito 7' 06" 85 coil chrysanthemic acid ester corresponding to I) do. 12' 00" 94 Present compound (2) 0.6% mosquito 7' 24" 82 coil Chrysanthemic acid ester corresponding to (2) do. l3 12" 90 Present compound (5) 0.6%.mosquito 5' 00" coil chrysanthemic acid ester corresponding to (5) do. 7' I8" 87 Present compound (6) 0.6% mosquito 5 06" coil Chrysanthemic acid ester corresponding to (6) do. 7' 54 89 Present compound (12) 0.6% mosquito 8' 0O" 80 coil Chrysanthemic acid ester cgrrgsponding to (l2) do. l2 I8" 82 Present compound (9) 0.6% mosquito 4' 42' 71 coil Chrysanthcmic acid ester m spo liggto (9) do. 6 48" 74 Pyrethrin 0.6% mosquito ll' 24" 70 coil As is clear from the above-mentioned experimental examples, the present compounds have excellent insecticidal and knock down effects on mosquitoes. Furthermore, they display prominent insecticidal activities on sanitary, injurious insects such as houseflies, cockroaches, etc. and insects injurious to stored cereals, and are low toxic to mammals. Owing to such characteristics of the present compounds, insecticidal compositionscontaining the present compounds as active ingredients find wide uses for the prevention of epidemics and for the control of stored cereal-injurious insects. Further, the said compositions are broad in insecticidal activity, and hence are quite useful for the control of agricultural injurious insects such as green rice leafhoppers, brown planthoppers, larvae of Japanese giant silk moth, common cabbage worms, cabbage army worms, larvae of diamond back moth, common cut-worms and the like, and forestry injurious insects. Particularly, the compositions are not only low toxic and harmless to mammals but also have repellent effects, so that they are freely applicable to crops beforeharvest, foods and packaging materials, and are usable for home horticulture and green house cultivation.

In preparing the compositions of the present invention, the present compounds may be formulated into any of oil sprays, emulsifiable concentrates, dusts, wettable powders, aerosols, granules, mosquito coils, and other heating or non-heating fumigants, according to procedures thoroughly known to those skilled in the art, using diluents for general insecticides, like in the case of the conventional pyrethroides. Alternatively, the present compounds may be formulated into death inducing powder or solid preparations incorporated with baits or the like materials attractive for injurious insects.

The present compounds can display more prominent insecticidal activities when used in combination of two or more of the present compounds, and can be enhanced in insecticidal effect when used in admixture with such synergists for pyrethroides as a-[2-(2- butoxyethoxy)ethoxy]-4,5-methylenedioxy-2- propyltoluene (hereinafter referred to as fpiperonyl butoxide), l,2-methylenedioxy-4-[ 2-( octylsulfinyl propyl] benzene (hereinafter referred to as sulfoxide), 4-( 3 ,4-methylenedioxyphenyl )-5,-methyl,l ,3- dioxane (hereinafter referred to as sufroxane), N-(2-ethylhexyl)-bicyclo [2,2,1] hepta--ene-2,3- dicarboximide (hereinafter referred to as MGK-264) and octachlorodipropyl ether (hereinafter referred to as S-42l or other known synergists effective for allethrin and pyrethrin.

Further, the present compounds are incorporated with suitable amounts of, as stabilizers, phenol derivatives such as BHT, or arylamines such as phenyl-anaphthylamine, phenyl-B-naphthylamine and phenetidine-acetone condensates, whereby insecticidal compositions more stabilized in effect can be obtained.

Still further, the present compounds are used in admixture with other physiologically active substances, e.g. known cyclopropanecarboxylic acid ester type insecticides such as pyrethrin (pyrethrum extract), allethrin, N-(chrysanthemoxymethyl)-3,4,5,6-tetrahydrophthalimide (hereinafter referred to as phthalthrin), 5-benzyl-3-furylmethyl chrysanthemate (hereinafter referred to as Chrysron, registered trade mark of Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.; the same shall apply hereinafter), S-propargylfurfuryl chrysanthemate and 8 their geometrical and optical isomers, organo-chlorine type insecticides.

Example 3 5 0.2 Part of each of the present compounds (1), (2),

(3), (4), (8), and (12) was dissolved in deodorized kerosene to make the total amount 100 parts,

whereby oil sprays of the respective compounds were obtained.

Example 4 A mixture comprising 0.1 part of each of the present Compounds and 0.5 part of piperonyl butoxide was dissolved in deodorized kerosene to make the total amount 100 parts, whereby oil sprays of the respective compounds were obtained.

Example 5 0.1 Part of each of the present compounds (5), (6),

sol.

Example 7 A mixture comprising 0.3 part of the present compound (5), 0.1 part of Chrysron, 2 parts of piperonyl butoxide, 6 parts of xylene and 6.6 parts of deodorized kerosene was treated in the same manner as in Example 6 to obtain an aerosol.

Example 8 A mixture comprising 0.2 part of the presentcompound (12), 0.2 part of Chrysron, 7 parts of xylene and 7.6 parts of deodorized kerosene was treated in the same manner as in Example 6 to obtain an aerosol.

7 Example 9 A mixture comprising 0.4 part of the present compound (9), 0.5 part of Sumithion, 7 parts of xylene and 7.1 parts of deodorized kerosene was treated in the same manenr as in Example 6 to obtain an aerosol.

Example 10 Example 1 l A mixture comprising parts of each of the present compound (1), (3), (4), (5), (8), (l0) and (l2), parts of sulfroxane and 10 parts of Sorpol SM-200 was thoroughly stirred together with 70 parts of xylene to' obtain emulsifiable concentrates of the respective compounds. I

Example v1 2 A mixture comprising parts of the present compound (1), 5 parts of 1-naphthyl-N-methylcarbamate and 5 parts of Sorpol SM-200 was thoroughly stirred in a mortar together with 70 parts of 300-mesh tale to obtain a wettable powder.

Example 13 To a solution of 1 part of each of the present compounds (I), (3), (5) and (8) and 3 parts of piperonyl butoxide in 20 parts of acetone was added 96 parts of 300-mesh diatomaceous earth. The resulting mixture was thoroughly stirred in a mortar, and then the acetone was removed by vaporization to obtain dusts of the respective compounds.

Example 14 A mixture comprising 5 parts of the present compound l) and 5 parts of Toyolignin CT was thoroughly stirred in a mortar together with 90 parts of GSM clay. The resulting mixture was kneaded with 10%, based on the amount of said mixture, of water and granulated by means of a granulator, followed by air-drying, to obtain a granule.

Example 15 A solution of 0.5 g of each of the present compounds (5), (6) and (9) in 20 ml of methanol was uniformly stirred together with 99.5 g of a mosquito coil carrier (a 3:5 :1 mixture of Tabu powder, pyrethrum mare and Example 17 A solution of 0.3 g of each of the present compounds (4), (8), (l0) and l l and 0.2 g of5-propargylfurfuryl chrysanthemate in 20 ml of methanol was treated in the same manner as in Example 15 to obtain mosquito coils of the respective compounds.

Example 18 A solution of 0.2 g of the present compound (1) and 0.2 g of allethrin in a suitable amount of chloroform .was applied to an asbestos piece of 2.5 cm X 1.5 cm in area and 0.3 mm in thickness to obtain a fibrous heating fumigant.

Insecticidal effects of the thus obtained compositions 5 of the present invention are as set forth in the following examples:

Test Example 1 According to the Campbells turn table method (Soap and Sanitary Chemicals, Vol. 14, No. 6, page 119, 1938) 5 ml of each of the oil sprays obtained in Examples 3 and 4 was sprayed, and a group of about 100 adults of house flies were exposed to the settling mist for 10 minutes. Thereafter, the flies were taken out, fed and allowed to stand for 1 day. As the result,

every oil spray could kill more than 80% of the flies.

Test Example 2 About adults of house flies were liberated in a cm) glass chamber, and 0.7 ml of each of the oil sprays obtained in Example 5 was sprayed to the flies under a pressure of 20 lbs. by use of a glass atomizer. As the result, more than of the flies could be knocked down within 10 minutes.

Test Example 3 Insecticidal effects on house fly adults of the aerosols obtained in Examples 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 were tested according to the aforesaid aerosol test method using a Peet Grady's chamber (6 ft). The results obtained were as set forth in the following table:

wood flour). After vaporizing the methanol, the residue was thoroughly kneaded with 150 ml of water, and then shaped and dried to obtain mosquito coils of the respective compounds.

v Example 16 A solution of 0.3 g of each of the present compounds (1), (2), (3), (7) and (12) and 0.2 g of allethrin in 20 65 ml of methanol was treated in the same manner as in Example 15 to obtain mosquito coils of the respective compounds.

Test Example 4 Each of the emulsifiable concentrates obtained in Example 11 was diluted with water to 20,000 times, and 2 liters of the resulting dilution was charged into a polystyrol-made case of 23 cm X 30 cm in size and 6 cm in depth. Subsequently, about 100 full-grown larvae of Northern house mosquitoes were liberated in the case, whereby more than of the larvae could be killed on the next day.

Test Example 5 Rice plants, which had elapsed 45 days after sowing,

were grown in l/50,000 Wagner pots. On the other hand, the emulsifiable concentrate containing the pres ent compound (3), among the emulsifiable concentrates obtained in Example 11, and the wettable powder obtained in Example 12 were individually diluted with water to 100 times. Each of the resulting dilutions was sprayed to the rice plants in a porportion of ml/pot. Subsequently, each pot was covered with a wire net, and about 30 adults of green rice leaflioppers were liberated in the net. As the result, more than 80% of the leaflzoppers could be killed on the next day.

Test Example 6 100 Grams of unhulled rice grains were thoroughly stirred together with 200 mg of each of the dusts obtained in Example 13, and the resulting mixture was charged into a 100 ml glass Erlenmeyer flask. Into the flask were liberated about 50 rice weevils, and then the flask was covered. As the result, more than 80% of the weevils could be killed within one week.

Test Example 7 Into a 14 liter-polyethylene bucket containing 10 liters of water was charged 1 g of the granule obtained in Example 14. After 1 day, about 100 full-grown larvae of Northern house mosquitoes were librated in the water, and the alive and dead of the larvae were observed. As the result, more than 90% of the larvae could be killed within 24 hours.

Test Example 8 I About 50 adults of Northern house mosquitoes were liberated in a (70 cm) glass chamber, and a batterydriven small motor fan (13 cm in blade diameter) was put in the chamber and rotated. Subsequently, 0.5 g of each of the mosquito coils obtained in Examples l5, l6 and 17 was ignited on both ends and placed in the chamber. As the result, every mosquito coil could knock down more than 80% of the mosquitoes within 20 minutes.

Test Example 9 mula,

12 said insects with an insecticidally effective amount of a compound of the formula wherein R is 2propargyl-3-methyl-2-cyclopentenel-one-4-yl,

wherein R is allyl, propargy, benzyl, thenyl, furylmethyl or phenoxy, R is hydrogen, or R and R at adjacent ring positions are bonded at respective ends to form a polymethylene group having 3 to 4 carbon atoms, and X is oxygen or sulfur.

2. An insecticidal composition comprising an inert carrier and an insecticidally effective amount of vinylcyclopropanecarboxylate represented by the forwherein R is 2-propargyl-3-methyl-2-cyclopentenel-onewherein R is allyl, propargyl, benzyl, thenyl, furylmethyl or phenoxy, R is hydrogen, or R,, R at adjacent ring positions are bonded at respective ends to form a polymethylene group having 3 to 4 carbon atoms, and X is oxygen or sulfur.

3. The composition of claim 2, in the form of an oil spray, an emulsifiable concentrate, a dust, a wettable powder, an aerosol, a mosquito coil, a bait, a granule or a fumigant. 

2. An insecticidal composition comprising an inert carrier and an insecticidally effective amount of vinylcyclopropanecarboxylate represented by the formula,
 3. The composition of claim 2, in the form of an oil spray, an emulsifiable concentrate, a dust, a wettable powder, an aerosol, a mosquito coil, a bait, a granule or a fumigant. 